All Epilogue 10 - Copper Moon
It was a pleasant fall afternoon in Lockeport: the somewhat oppressive summer heat was giving way to the mild, dry winter. Osamu and Lucca had taken the kids to Tsimshian for the weekend, and Mako was out entertaining himself; Junko was the only one at home. She flipped idly through a penny dreadful, waiting for nightfall when the fun would begin in town. A rap at the door caught her attention; rolling off of her bed, she made her way to the front, hoping it was the post. She had a particular fondness for purchasing things from Yeto and the Northlands tribes, Riolythe if she could manage it, and waiting for them to arrive in the mail. Sometimes she would order by post, or sometimes she would teleport, go shopping, and mail it to herself, just to wait for it to arrive. It was more fun when they had no Lightning Transit. When she opened the door, it was obvious that it was no postman who stood there. Instead she was met with the sight of an older, bespectacled man apparently talking to the passion flower growing next to the door. From the style and wear of his clothing it was readily apparent that he was neither from the area, nor likely possessed of any fixed address. He appeared to take no notice of her, absorbed as he was with the plant. She raised an eyebrow, her posture defensive and defiant at the same time. Regardless, her tone was still polite, "Can I help you with something?" "Oh! Hello there miss!" He turned to greet her with a broad grin, "This is a lovely little vine you have here, you know. A very amiable critter if I've ever met one, it is." He looked off dreamily for a few seconds, "Mmh, now where was I...oh yes! I'm looking for someone, a boy by the name of Lucca Wakiya. He's a former pupil of mine. I recently caught wind of some rather exciting news, and thought I'd drop by to catch up...is he here?" She still regarded him with a perturbed, judgmental air, looking between him and the plant, "...Yeah. We have a really good gardener. Anyways, Lucca's not here right now; he's out. He'll be back tonight or tomorrow, I don't remember which. You can come back later, if you want." She went to close the door, "Have a nice day." At this, the man looked nonplussed, "If he'll be back so soon, could I not wait here for him? I wouldn't mind at all..." "No, I'm here by myself," she replied. "I'm not about to let someone I've never met into the house when no one else is here. I've been kidnapped before; I'm not about to do that again. Town's that way," she pointed, "Maybe I'll see you later, have a nice day." She closed the door, and Copper Moon could hear the lock click. He stood frowning slightly at the door for a few moments before giving a shrug and heading in the direction indicated. Junko walked into the house, rolling her eyes. "Weirdo." "Who was that?" the rich, tenor voice of Rilkirax asked from the kitchen. "Some creepy hobo looking for Lucca. If he's still on our lawn in ten minutes, I'll let the lord know; otherwise, I'm not spoiling his day with it." "Well, if you think he's not a threat, I concur," he said, walking out into the hall. He handed her a plate, "Quiche?" "Thanks." ---- The pleasant afternoon had given way to a pleasant evening. Junko had gone out for the night, as usual; Mako, however, had returned. He was holding a complicated yoga pose, made all the more difficult with his heavy, stiff tail, when he heard a knock at the door. When it repeated itself, Mako opened his eyes. "Dafuck is here in the middle of the night...?" he muttered, getting to his feet. He put on the hat that gave him his mortal appearance as he went to the door, opening it as the knock came a third time. He was greeted by the sight of a disheveled, obviously very drunk druid. "Hello, sir! My goodness, lookit your hair! You could put a yellow warbler to shame! Wonderful!" He said with a delighted laugh. "I'm here to see Lucca; I dropped by earlier and spoke to a young lady, and was told to come back later; so now here I am! Is he around?" Mako blinked at him a few times, "...Noooo..." he said slowly. "He's not. ...Who're you?" "Oh, I'm sorry! I am Copper Moon." His tone indicated that he expected this to be explanation enough. It was only after Mako continued to stare at him blankly that he clarified, "I was his teacher, back when he joined the Order. It's been some time since I saw him last, but when I heard the news I figured it was high time I dropped by." "O...kay," Mako continued to look like he had no clue what the man was doing there. "Order...of what, now...?" "...The...Druidic Order...? He's a druid...?" Copper Moon replied, looking increasingly more confused. After a moment he asked, "...may I ask who you are?" "Ohh, that's an order? I thought that was just a thing. Like carpentry. This guy's a carpenter, this guy's a druid..." Mako said, gesturing about at his hypothetical example. "Whatever. I'm Mako. I live here." He shrugged and moved inside a few steps, before turning around and leveling a serious finger at the man on the step, "I swear to God, if you bring an animal in this house, I'm going to eat it. Fair warning." He turned and continued walking. "...My goodness...that is duly noted, no animals will be joining us." Copper Moon looked briefly unsettled as he followed Mako into the house. He quickly shrugged it off, saying conversationally, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mako. Do you mind if I ask what your relation to Lucca is? And the young lady I met earlier, who was she?" He took a second to reply, "I'm Victor's brother," he said, stressing the name as though he'd forgotten it. "Junko is his daughter." Mako went into the sitting room and flopped unceremoniously onto the couch. Copper Moon went to sit in a chair, but Mako said loudly, "Nope! Not there.That one." He pointed at another chair with his foot. "Oh...alright then..." he said, looking confused but moving to the chair Mako had indicated. He continued talking without missing a beat "I had no idea that he had a daughter...my goodness, she must be nearly Lucca's age! How strange..." Mako raised an eyebrow, "Uhh...yeah, she's a bit younger? Like...6 or 7 years..." "Well, she seems like a nice enough girl from what little I spoke to her." Mako made a bit of a scoffing noise at this that Copper Moon missed. "A wary sort though..." he trailed off, looking thoughtful. "So, what about you? What do you do? Were you born outside of Riolythe?" Mako shrugged, "I mostly do whatever fool thing pops into my head, usually. And, personal preference here, I'm not really gonna talk about anything that happened in my life over a year ago." "Oh...alright then. Well, for what it's worth, I like the sounds of your style. I've always subscribed to a similar philosophy myself: going where the wind takes me, doing whatever strikes me...it's a wonderful way of living, I think. You meet so many interesting people, see and hear so many neat things that way, wouldn't you say?" Mako raised an eyebrow, slouched back as he was. "Never said I was a drifter. Never been a wanderlust kinda guy." "Oh no? More solid roots on you, I guess. Each to his own, each to his own." "...Yeeeaaah..." Mako drew out the word, regarding the man as though he was slightly daffy. "What did you teach Lucca again?" "Oh goodness, all sorts of things!" The druid replied enthusiastically, leaning back in his chair, "I taught him everything he needed to know to be ordained as a druid...the training is quite extensive, as I'm sure you could guess, but it varies some from druid to druid, you see. We each have our own focus, our own flavour of druidism, you might say, and so some of that influences what we teach. But at any rate, the core of it is the same: how to live in harmony with nature, within nature, to survive in the wilds with only oneself to rely on, how to both speak and listen to the world around oneself, the weather, the plants and animals, the very earth, how to attune oneself with and tap into the natural energies, which is of course the first step to learning our magic..." He went on, listing more points and expanding on those he had already mentioned, clearly fascinated with his own words. Mako sunk back further; the man he was listening to wasn't the man in the room. ---- Osamu and Lucca walked down the nighttime pier, enjoying the sound of the waves. The children were at Granny's, asleep, so they took the time to be alone. Mako's voice suddenly popped into Osamu's mind: So, drunk old guy here, named Copper Moon? Says he's Lucca's teacher or some shit. Where do you want him, the guest house? ''Lucca saw Osamu suddenly stiffen, a hard look suffusing his features. "What is it?" he asked. Osamu took a slow breath, but he did not soften any. "Mako reports...that a particular individual has come calling at our house." The younger man looked up at him questioningly, his expression wary. He looked into Lucca's eyes, "What would you like done with Copper Moon?" Lucca froze, the colour draining from his face. In the moments it took for him to find his voice once more Osamu could hear his thoughts racing in a frantic whirlwind of fear and anger. "I want him gone, immediately," he eventually managed, his voice quaking slightly, "And I want it made clear on no uncertain terms that he is not to come back, or anywhere ''near any of us again. Ever." Osamu leaned over and drew Lucca into a tight hug. "He will not. You will never have to lay eyes on him again, and he will never go near any of the children. He will never hurt you or anyone we care for, ever again." His voice had a cold cast as he asked, "But I will ask you: how...permanent, would you like our message to be?" Leaning into the embrace, Lucca took a couple deep breaths and set his jaw, answering slowly, "...some measure of restraint should probably be exercised...he was ''my teacher after all...and it's not like there was ever any intent behind the shit he did..." ...please don't let Mako kill him, if that's what you're asking...but I wont be at all upset if he leaves with a permanent reminder of why to stay away.'' Even though he did not finish the thought out loud, the harsh bitterness was evident in his tone. He will leave alive. ''Osamu hugged him tighter, "Put him out of your mind then. He will not bother us anymore, and I won't have him spoiling our evening." He kissed him and added, "Mako will ensure that this is taken care of." ---- ''So, uh...this guy? He's pretty...ugh...irritating. Where should I put him up? I'm sorry. I needed to confer with Lucca first. Why? Because that man, as I'm sure you've already determined, is pathetic. He taught Lucca, yes, but he has also put him through terrible grief. Between his drunkenness, which I know too well, and his idiot, saccharine nature, which you know too well, he is barely an excuse for a man. I will not tolerate him in my house, or near my family. And I will not allow his past transgressions against one of mine to go unpunished, years ago as it may have been. ...Understood. A very subtle change occurred in Mako's eyes, but nothing else. For the moment. How *gone* do you want him? Lucca has requested his continued existence on the planet. But that is *all* he wished. Osamu added after a pause, his voice cold, Enjoy yourself. A grin crept across Mako's face. Yes, sir. ---- Mako suddenly sat upright, leaning forwards on his knees as he brought his full attention onto Copper Moon. "So! Question!" he said bluntly, interrupting Copper Moon's tirade. "What's nature? Tell me, four sentences or less. Don't ramble. Go." "Oh...I...Alright, this seems like an interesting game. Let's see...." He sat back in his chair, looking almost dreamy as he thought. "Nature is...the center and source of all things, the balance and harmony of our world. It's the unseen force that flows through all things native to our plane giving them shape and life. At the same time, even though it is in itself unseen, it's what you see and feel when you look at those things we have not tampered with, that would exist without our human intervention...the earth and sky and plants and animals, all those things..." He paused, but looked like he was simply thinking of more to say. "You one of those people who think people aren't animals?" Mako asked. "Mmmmmmh, I suppose strictly speaking, yes. We're by and large the same, but there's just this little...something...this little spark of some sort that sets people apart, makes us not quite the same, you know? I'm not sure if it makes us better, or worse than the animals...but either way, we are a bit different, I think." "You know, I kinda find that funny, comin' from a druid. You're supposed to be the big nature buffs, right?" He leaned forwards a bit further, "I've been up and down the wilderness a few times. Seen some things. I ain't ever seen anything that makes a man different from anything else that runs around the bush. Tell me, what's this 'thing', that makes us special?" "Well, it is rather subtle, I suppose. We are certainly very similar, but there's something in our makeup, this...drive to drastically and permanently alter the world around us, this need to not only fufill our needs but to also go beyond and create and do things for their own sake, not to make our lives any easier but just because we can. The arts are a good example of what I'm talking about: all very wonderful, but at the end of the day they're the product of an almost frivolous waste of energy from any other species standpoint, you know? And what animal wastes energy in such a fashion and degree as us on that sort of thing? What animal has the drive to do so?" He shrugged and smiled slightly as he finished. "Heh, so we're wasteful with pointless hobbies," Mako chuckled. "Yeah, I can get that. I've seen some pretty stupid birds in my time though. Ever grab a peacock by the tail? What kind of moron thought that was a good idea? An idiot who wanted to be pretty to lay a woman, that's who." He had been staring at Copper Moon the whole while, with an intensity in his gaze that did not abate as he continued, "See, I don't think the difference is hobbies. It's about being safe. You ever see zoos, druid? Pets? Watch an animal that's not worried about dying, and you can see it waste a lot of time on stupid shit too. Watch a man who's got a predator on his trail, and he ain't gonna look a whole lot different from any other animal in the wild." He grinned, "That's what I think nature is. Surviving. It's all sunshine and rainbows and flowers...for things that don't have to worry." He smiled wider, "You ever worried, druid? You ever survived?" Copper Moon was beginning to look slightly unsettled. The haze of drink had quite thoroughly blunted his better judgement, but there was something in the other man's face that was starting to hint that perhaps all was not as well as it ought to be. "I suppose you do raise a point, about the importance of safety to all creatures, yes..." He shifted slightly as he considered the elf's question, a small frown creeping across his features. "I would say yes, I certainly have done both. I think you would be hard pressed to find a person who hasn't...certainly all of us have worried at some point, haven't we? Even if just over the small things in life. Worry is pretty universal. And as for surviving...well that could be argued for some of us, but speaking personally I certainly have survived some things in my time, yes. That's a rather odd question, though. Why do you ask?" Mako kept chuckling, "That's just it, though, right? Small stuff. That's the little 'thing' you were talking about, that makes a lot of people seem different than a lot of animals. Animals can't get all hung up on art and pretty words and all the pointless, peaceful crap, because they're actually in nature." He was still sitting hunched over, elbows on knees, staring. He moved his fingers curiously over each other, almost like sharpening knives. "You can't worry about small stuff if you're worried about your life. If you have to think about the hunters on your tail, you have better things to do. So what have you survived, druid? What made you know you were alive, because you knew you were gonna die? Because until you're sure you're gonna die, you aren't really alive. That's''nature." The druid's frown deepened and he sat up a bit straighter, growing more uneasy the longer Mako talked. "You seem to have a rather dark view of the world, my boy. Why such focus on fear, and death and the struggle to survive? Certainly they are a part of life, a part of nature; unfortunate in both cases and unavoidable...but why would you want to fixate on them when there are so many better things in this world to concern yourself with?" With his terrible smile, he continued, "You think rabbits got time to think about the 'better things'? You think birds and fish got man's luxury to think about art and philosophy? What gives humans the right to sit around on their lazy asses thinking about the 'better things', when the rest of us have to work to survive? When we have to deal with nature?" He leaned forwards more, resting on the balls of his feet. "It's funny. You're funny. A druid that doesn't get survival. You're hearing what I'm saying but..." he hopped up suddenly, moving into a stretching position. He looked like he was limbering for something. "But I don't think you really get me yet. You've worried about small stuff. You've survived...what? Rain? Hunger? That doesn't get the blood moving. That doesn't get your ''fear going. The absolute best part of nature is the fear. God, nothing fears the way animals can. What did you survive that gave you that edge, the fear that turned to wrath or panic and let you see another day?" "I'm not so sure I like this topic of conversation," Copper Moon said slowly as he got to his feet, eyeing Mako warily all the while. "Perhaps we can finish it another time. When was it that you said Lucca would be back?" Mako continued stretching, progressing into more intense positions, spreading out on the floor, "Aww, hee hee, see? You don't get it. You're like...a cow. You're a farmer's cow that sits in a field. People think 'aw, it's a cow, look how nature-y it is, in it's little field', and the cow is so happy and fat and doesn't have any idea what it's like on the other side of the fence. Just because it's outside doesn't mean it knows nature. Poor happy cow." He hopped and twisted around into another position, "So, if you're a cow, what do you think I am? Be honest. I can take it. We can talk about Lucca after." Copper Moon blinked, looking taken aback and more than slightly offended. "That is rather unkind of you, you know that? It's really no way to talk to someone." He said, drifting gradually in the direction of the door. "I think perhaps I will be going, now. It has gotten rather late, don't you think?" Mako flipped around to land in Copper Moon's line of sight, and block his exit. "Answer. My. Question." The druid stiffened and took a couple steps baackward. Pursing his lips tightly he answered curtly, "Off the top of my head, I'd have to say you're something like a wolverine." As he spoke his eyes were moving around the room, taking stock of the layout, looking for an alternate exit. "An odd, rather overly aggressive little creature, that is. They tend to turn out to be decidedly less pleasant company than they appear first sight...short on temper and often a fair bit stronger than they look. Best to keep one's time with them brief." This room, unlike the kitchen and solarium, had little in the way of alternative exits: it was a bit of a nook, made to feel cosy by being closed off. Despite that, there were two glass windows, closer to the ceiling, and both closed. "Ooh, I like it. Close, I think. But no. Sorry," he grinned. "I'm a dog." He moved into another pose, crouched and stretching still. "I'm a dog, and my master isn't inclined to your company. I'm a wolf, and the alpha says that you're on his land. You hurt one of his. He will not forgive, or forget, and the saddest part is, I don't think a silly cow like you probably knows what you did." He chuckled, "We're even though, because I don't know what you did either. All I know is, the master doesn't want you here. And I follow my master's orders. So!" He flipped onto all fours, on his fingers and toes, grinning up at Copper Moon with what could only be the illest of intent. "We're gonna play a game. It's called, 'Where does Mako's territory end?', and it stops when you're far enough away that I stop caring. But there's a time limit! And the game ends if I catch you. Heh. Obviously." He drummed his fingers on the ground in anticipation, his weight still on them. "I'll give you a minute...two minutes. You're drunk. Then the game starts." He crouched, an evil manic look in his eyes, "Show me your fear, cow, and I'll show you what nature is really like." With an uncanny speed, he lept off the ground and flipped over Copper Moon, landing in a runner's start position facing the man. He smiled, "Go." The druid didn't waste any more time with words. He had been slowly, unconsciously backing away, his face a picture of bewilderment and growing fear. Now he sprung forward, darting out of the room without a backward glance. The second his back was turned, Mako ripped off the hat, revealing his true form and, more importantly, returning his heightened senses. The druid was already shooting out the door, but Mako easily caught his scent and the particular taste of his mounting fear. As Copper Moon pulled open the door, he made a gesture, taking on the form of a small, agile bat and winging his way toward the treeline. Mako laughed, "Bat, bird, rodent, cow, fish; I don't care what you are." He retrieved his other hat, the one that would only give him the image of humanity, without the physical form. "You can't run fast enough. Nothing can." He smiled, waiting impatiently at the door for his promised two minutes. "Give me a hunt, druid!" ---- Copper Moon crashed through the underbrush, his flanks heaving with each labored breath, his fur coated in a lather of sweat. He had long since abandoned his bat form. It had proven far too lacking in stamina to evade his pursuer, and though he attempted time and again to hide using all of his considerable talents, somehow, he had no idea how, the man kept finding him, flushing him out, spurring him on. The only course of action left was to run, and to do it faster, longer, farther than his pursuer. He had taken the form of a pronghorn, a creature renowned for its speed and endurance, but better suited to open plains than dense jungle. He had been charging through the trees for the better part of an hour already, chased by fear and the relentless hunter on his tail. Exhaustion and the rough terrain were starting to take their toll. Mako's laugh echoed through the trees behind him. Every time he slowed, every time he faltered, he heard him laughing. He remained unseen, except when Copper Moon tried to drift further inland. If he tried to turn deeper into the peninsula's jungle, Mako appeared, lunging out at him but never actually landing a blow. Whether it was on purpose or not that he missed, the druid could not take the chance and he ran the other way. He was being herded, steered along a northern path, following the coast, inevitably heading back towards Asanon. As he pushed himself through the woods, he heard Mako call out manically, "I'm looking forwards to the desert! Aren't you?!" The desert was miles and miles away; possibly days of travel. The druid's thoughts darted around in a panicked flurry; how long was he going to keep this up? There was no way he was going to be able to run steady for that long; no creature could. He'd die of exhaustion long before they reached the desert. In his distraction he hooked one of his hooves on a root and stumbled, nearly sending himself sprawling. He redoubled his pace, in tandem with his fear. The eerie, cruel laughter filled the jungle, "Don't break your neck! You'll spoil my fun!" He suddenly appeared beside him: a human, alternating between running on two- and four-legs, keeping pace with the pronghorn. Copper Moon lunged sideways, away from the man and tried to eke a still faster pace from his already taxed form. "Don't you feel alive?" he asked. Just as quickly as he appeared, he stopped and jumped up, vanishing into the trees, and the sound of his laughter dimmed and faded. The druid kept running. Even though there were no longer any obvious signs of pursuit he wasn't about to take any chances. Beyond that, he still had the distinct sense he was not alone; he was being watched. So he ran on, pushing his body further and further until his legs finally gave out and he collapsed from exhaustion. He lay where he fell for some time, expecting Mako to return and fall upon him at any moment. As the seconds ticked past into minutes and he did not appear, a small glimmer of hope began to grow within the druid. Maybe he had lost him, maybe he had run far enough already? He returned to his human form and got up, moving to tuck himself into a more hidden spot in the underbrush. He would need to rest before he moved on again. He hoped that when he did so, he would be alone. He was not. ---- Mako dogged Copper Moon for day after day after day. Through the jungles, across the desert, and over the plains he chased him, from the peninsula into Asanon and beyond. Not even in towns could he escape Mako's unearthly predatory presence. He would allow him just enough time to recover between runs, just enough time to eat and rest that he could survive; he never allowed him to feel safe. If he was a bird, Mako would be waiting when he landed; if he was a mammal, he would be standing at every tunnel exit, behind every cover. By every brook side and cave, he chased fish, frog and reptile alike, always evaded, never lost. The druid kept running, running all the way to the Northlands. ---- Copper Moon awoke from his fitful sleep, and he froze immediately: he could feel eyes on him, very close. "You haven't been at a bottle in a while. How's that feeling?" Mako asked conversationally, voice close. "I like a drink as much as the next guy, but I got no love for drunks. Osamu though," he whistled, "that man hates drunkards." The druid's eyes darted around, looking frantically for the source of Mako's voice. He was exhausted, truly and utterly. He hadn't had long enough to recover from his last bout of running; there was no way he could start again so soon. "Who...Who is Osamu?" He asked almost absently, his mind still very much focused on trying to locate the other man that he might plan an escape. "Aww...fuck, Osamu, Victor. I can't remember fake names. This is why I'm not a spy or any shit like that. Shh. Don't tell anyone. Anyways, how's it feel being sober? Good, or are you gonna fall right off the wagon again?" "....what?" Copper Moon asked, his confusion only growing. Not taking long to puzzle over it, he stammered "I...I don't know...that's the furthest thing from my mind right now...why? Why does it matter to you?" Mako laughed, both hearty and cruel, "Ha ha ha! Oh man. Mattering. No, it doesn't matter. Not at all. Man. Hee hee hee! You're funny. Mattering. Man," he let out a breath, ceasing his giggling, "do you know what you did? How you landed yourself here? 'Cause I honestly don't know. I just do what my lord tells me, and he wanted you gone. So utterly fuckin' gone. So, what the fuck did you do? What did you do to Lucca?" "...wha-''what?'' I did nothing to that boy! What on earth are you talking about?" Copper Moon said with a look of utter bewilderment, "I told you, he was my student. He travelled with me for about seven years, and I taught him during that time. That is all. He struck off on his own not long after being ordained..." He trailed off, a slightly thoughtful cast colouring his features. "...we had a small disagreement around that time...I can't imagine that could possibly be what this is about though..." "Yeah, I'll bet not," Mako's voice came from a new angle, causing Copper Moon to spin about. "I seriously don't know what you did. I only know a couple things:" there was a rustle, and when Mako started talking again, it was from a new location. "That you're a drunk. Osamu, Victor...hates drunks. That you're saccharine. I hate saccharine people. He does too. Together? I'm guessing you're a guy who gets wasted, lets people down and can't for the love of fuck figure out what everyone's problem is with you. 'Cause the world's got no problems, right? No problems in your sunshiny fenced field. 'Specially not when you're loaded." Another rustle, another location. "I don't know what you did to Lucca. Osamu didn't say. But," He moved again, "I think you're in a listening place now, 'cause you ain't trashed, and I think you're good and out of your happy place. So listen good. Lucca is his now. Osamu loves him and will protect him and hope to all of your bunnies and flowers and whatever else you pray to that you don't cross his path. Because he is livid. You hurt someone he loves. Don't matter to him that it was yesterday, 20 years ago or in a past life." A rustle, "I can tell you straight that the only reason that it's me here and not him is 'cause Lucca asked. That Lucca spared you. 'Cause our lord wouldn't have. I wouldn't have. But someone must've asked nicely. I would've gutted you, if my lord hadn't told me not to. He sent me, because he would have done worse. So instead, we played a fun game! You learned what it's like to live in the wild." There was a lightning flash of movement, and suddenly Copper Moon was pinned to the ground, looking up at a creature he had never seen before. It looked vaguely like the elf he had met, but cruel and pointed and not at all of this world. Mako crushed Copper Moon to the ground with his foot, leaning on his knee and peering over at him, bringing his face towards his. The druid recoiled back as far as he could, staring at the creature above him in abject horror. "And you learned a bit about my lord's territory, that I will guard with extreme prejudice." He leaned further over, bringing his face close, causing the man to cringe still farther into the dirt. "I'd stay out of it." Suddenly he grinned widely, manic and cruel, "Not that you're free of it yet!" He jumped back up into the trees, laughing and vanishing from sight. The moment Mako moved Copper Moon was on his feet in a mad scramble and running once more. The new, as yet unheard of level of fear coursing through him gave him energy where he was certain he had none, moved muscles that he was sure were too torn to work. Mako's laughter followed him as he ran. ---- Mako chased him for another day and a half through the Northlands, when suddenly, he disappeared, leaving Copper Moon alone in the wilderness near Kemerovo. The druid kept moving for few days more, his pace gradually declining from the frenetic run that had taken him all the way from the peninsula to the northlands. Eventually he made his way wearily into Kemerovo itself. Reasonably assured that he was no longer being pursued he took a room in an inn and tried to shake off some of the fear that seemed to have lodged itself in the very marrow of his bones. Finally allowed to settle, he turned his mind to trying to make sense of the ordeal he had just come through, of Mako's words, and of what sort of creatures, exactly, he had crossed. Of one thing he was certain: he would be keeping far, far away from that family. ---- "Yo!" Mako greeted, walking past the cooking Lucca and sticking his head into the icebox. It had been almost a month since anyone had seen him around, and suddenly he was there in the kitchen. His sudden appearance startled the druid slightly. "Yo yourself." He shot back, putting down his knife and turning to lean against the counter, "It's been a while; where'd you get to?" "Eh. Around. Sick, cheese!" He pulled his head out of the fridge, proceeding to eat a large block of hard cheese whole. "How're things? Things good?" He took another bite of cheese from the block and pointed, "Is that dinner? I hope it's dinner." "Don't eat all the cheese, man! Come on!" Lucca protested, "I need that!" He gave a small sigh, "Things're fine, yeah. They'd be better if you left some of that''for'' dinner, though, just sayin'. And yes, that most certainly is dinner, it'll be a bit before it's done though." "Aww..." Mako put the cheese down on the counter, now with several large bites taken out of it, and turned his attentions back to the fridge. He took some celery and said, "I got a question for you," as he spun a chair around and sat in it backwards, leaning his elbows on the backrest. He took a bite of celery, "What's nature?" Lucca blinked at the odd question, frowning slightly as he considered it, "Nature? It's...kinda hard to come up with a concise definition. I mean we tend use the word pretty ambiguously...someone looks at a meadow or a forest and calls that nature, or a fox or a bird, but that's really narrow and shallow right? But then you try to go deeper and it starts to sound all esoteric, where you're like 'it's the untempered creative force flowing through Materia, giving rise to all its aspects and creatures and permeating everything.'" Mako snorted on his celery as Lucca said this. "And that's also correct, but sounds so uppity and out-there, it's ridiculous." He shrugged, "I dunno, I find you know it by feel more than anything, you know? It's hard to put into words." "It's a feeling. Ok. What feeling?" "Everything being as it should." The druid answered slowly, "It's the balance in action right? Peace and strife, pain and pleasure, growth and decay, life and death and rebirth...all existing and playing off one another as they are supposed to. The 'good' and the 'bad' interacting in a sort of eternal dance, constantly changing and in flux but always balanced...and when you find it, you can feel it." He gave a crooked smile, and added, "I'm telling you though, there's no way to explain it without sounding like a whackjob, seriously." Mako looked thoughtful for about 10 seconds, before shrugging. "Eh. Ain't the worst answer I've heard." He stood up and took an apple from a nearby bowl; walking towards the dining room, he leaned over and shouted "Head's up, Twerp!" as he threw the apple down the hall. ---- "I dunno man," Mako said as they entered the bar. It was a dimly lit, spartan sort of affair. The well worn floorboards and heavily marked bar were immaculately clean, despite showing clearly years of heavy wear and tear. At this time of evening it was quiet. Most of the town's men were still at work in the mines; only a handful of people sat scattered about the establishment, alone or in the odd small group. "I just...it's like, taking trophies is cool, but making jewelry is for women? I dunno where 'making jewelry out of the things you kill' falls on the scale." He currently looked like he had in the far past: a somewhat average Yetoman in his mid-thirties. Osamu shrugged, "I suppose it's a habit now. Besides, it's a mark of standing; I lost my old earrings, so I have to replace them or I have no proof of my ability." He was in the form of a human as well, though he looked much closer to his Victor persona, with his black hair and Asonian race. It was easier to explain the presence of one Yetoman than two. "You're right; without the earrings, I totally don't believe you killed a town-sized centipede," Mako grinned as the two saddled up to the bar. He returned the grin and replied, "Well, that's a bad example. You've seen the houses made out of it." "Naw, that's exactly my point!" Mako retorted, ordering with a gesture, "If you've got the corpse, why do you have to wear it?" "Because only the people who killed it get to wear it. If you've got something no-one else has, you're given higher standing." "So that's why you wanted the claw." "Griffons don't go that far south," Osamu grinned, "And I can't very well not be the best." "Dude, I did most of the work there." "Well, you can wear it in an earring too. That's your right." The bartender put two pints in front of them as Mako continued, "I can't believe you actually pierced your ears. You." "Well, now I can just shift them, so it's not an issue." "I should clonk you on the head; make you lose your memory again, see what other weird crap you do." "How about you don't." Osamu replied, taking a drink. "I'm glad we got a decent price on the birds though. It would be a pain trying to sell them outside of the Northlands." "We could've just taken them back." "And I'll say it again: we can't store that much meat." "So throw bigger parties!" It was as they talked that Mako's eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting alone at a table. His back was to them, but the distinctive cloud of unruly grey hair and his well-worn travelling clothes gave away his identity. Mako paused, staring at the man's back. "...Noooooo...", he said incredulously. "No...aww, man, hee hee hee!" "What?" Osamu's gaze followed Mako's. Mako's voice dropped to a whisper, and he tugged at Osamu's arm. "Oh man, oh man...that's him!" "Who?" Osamu looked at him critically, trying to recognize him from somewhere. "The guy, the guy from a couple years back...Fuck, bronze...no, copper! Copper Moon!" Osamu looked surprised for a half-second before settling into a look both stern and unamused. "I suppose I never did ask what you did with him." "Aww, I just chased him out. Ran him from the house to...wow, probably not far from here. Good run. Didn't touch him though; not gonna mangle a guy I can't kill. Hee hee! I wonder how he's been?" Mako stood up, "I'm gonna go see." Osamu snorted and turned back to his drink. "Gimme a few minutes, I'll be back." Mako stood up and took his drink over to Copper Moon's table. Without introducing himself, he walked around and flopped himself into an adjacent chair at the table. "Hey old man," he said as a way of introduction. "Story'll get you a drink," as he took a drink of his own. Copper Moon flinched noticeably at the intrusion."Oh...oh hello, young man...you're looking for a story you say? I can certainly oblige...what sort of story would you like?" Eyeing Mako nervously he added, "I can't say I've seen you around these parts before, do you mind if I ask your name?" Mako took another drink as he thought to Osamu, Shit, I need a name, I'm shit at names. Shoji, he replied dryly. "Name's Shoji. Game hunter, checking out the mountains. Not the deep mountains, obviously. I'm just passing through." He shrugged, "I figured, you seem like a guy that's seen some things. What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen in the woods out here?" "The strangest thing..." He murmered to himself, curling his fingers around his mug of beer as he considered the question. He suddenly paled, shaking it off with a hard swallow. He took a long drink before answering, "This close to the mountains one can see a lot of unusual things, what with the spirit world being so close to ours...a lot of less than pleasant ones too." He fell silent and took another drink, draining his cup while clearly debating something. "I've seen faeries," Mako said. "Pretty sure I saw a gnome once. Nothin' scary." He took a drink, "But by the looks of it, you're talkin' about somethin' worse. Lay it on me; I don't get nightmares." "Oh no, there are certainly worse things than that in these forests...there are some less than friendly fey one might encounter, and a brooding drake or griffon can certainly be a frightening sight. But no...I am thinking of something else..." Copper Moon was silent for some time, staring thoughtfully into his empty glass. Eventually, he began." I am, or rather was, I suppose, something of a wanderer. I've traversed this continent many times over, from the northern sea to the peninsula, following the migration routes of all sorts of birds and swapping stories with the people I met. Once during my travels, some years ago now, I strayed into the territory of a very bizarre, downright fiendish sort of creature...and apparently somehow aroused its ire." As he spoke a nervous edge crept into his tone, his eyes beginning to dart about the room. "That creature was easily the strangest, most horrifying thing I have seen in these forests or any other...never have I encountered anything like it before or since...." He trailed off, a haunted look on his face as he considered those memories. Mako tried to keep his grin to a minimum as he asked, "What did it look like?" He drained his glass and motioned to the barmaid for two more, "And really? No idea what you did? Usually it's pretty easy to guess why animals get pissed: you touch what's theirs, whether it's food, land or family. Sure you didn't just wander where you shouldn't have?" "Hmm, well for one thing, this creature was no animal. And although it first disguised itself as a man, it certainly was not that either. No, it was something far more sinister...a monstrous being, all spikes and sharp edges and malice, with long claws and a horrible grin, like a shark. And it made the most awful sound...a terrible sort of laugh that chilled the very marrow...I am certain it was not of this world, although whether a particularily awful fey or something worse, I cannot say. I'm no expert in such things." He took a long drink, draining nearly half of the glass before continuing. "It was a predator; the sort that, like a cat or killer whale, seems to love to hunt and torment its prey more than anything else." He stared into the middle distance, shifting uneasily as he thought, "As for what I may or may not have done, it's hard to say...it was variously alluded that I was in its territory; that I had brought harm, somehow, to one of its family members; that I had angered its alpha...perhaps it was all of these things. Or who knows? Perhaps none, and it just wanted the thrill of a chase, who knows? At any rate, the first and last time I actually saw it was in the woods around here, and it was and remains the strangest, most frightening thing I have ever encountered in all of my days..." As the druid talked, his thoughts, which could be heard by Osamu across the room, told a slightly different story. There was no question in the man's mind as to which of the reasons he had listed lead to his unfortunate encounter with the creature he spoke of; it most certainly was a combination of the three, with the second, bringing harm to a family member, being the foremost. Mako had made this unquestionably clear during their encounter. On the other hand, as he reminisced in his mind it was clear that he remained confused, albeit remorseful, as to what precisely he had done to wrong Lucca so many years ago that called for such extreme retribution. "I'll bet," Mako said. "Sounds scary. Think it's still around? Or do you think it went back to wherever it came from? I wouldn't mind hunting something that interesting." Meanwhile, Osamu sat at the bar, staring almost violently into the middle distance, making those nearby more than slightly uncomfortable. "I think you misunderstand me, boy. This creature...you could not hunt this thing. I'd imagine you've hunted other predators, wolves, perhaps owlbear or something like that...This creature is not like that...it was as if the essence of what it is to be ''a predator were distilled and given corporeal form. A mere mortal could not threaten this thing...you would only become its game, and perhaps its meal." He took a deep drink and suddenly shrugged, adding. "And anyway, I'd wager the creature is long gone and far away. When I encountered it, it wanted me out of its territory, and as it disappeared near here, I'd say it's unlikely to be found around these parts again." His eyes darted about nervously and he added, "I most certainly hope that is the case, at any rate..." "Oooh..." he gushed at the description. "Makes me excited to just hear about it. Shame, if it went away. Why you so afraid then, if you think it's gone?" He took a drink, then exclaimed, "Wait...wait, you said you used to wander...have you stayed here ever since?" The druid looked almost embarrassed for a moment before replying with conviction. "Well...yes, essentially. The last thing I would ever want to do is cross the likes of something like that again, or, worse still, the 'alpha' it referred to when it departed." A look of darker fear flitted across his face as he said this. Taking a drink, adding with forced nonchalance, "And anyway, I'm not as young as I once was; it was getting nigh on time for me to settle down anyhow. Here seemed as good a place as any I suppose." "Nicer than I'm certain you deserve," a cold voice said behind him. Copper Moon flinched noticeably, turning so quickly to regard the newcomer that he nearly upended his chair. "Come, 'Shoji'," Osamu said with obvious sarcasm. "I'm disinclined to the clientele of this establishment. We're leaving before I decide to act upon it." He gave the druid a withering look of purest venom before turning on his heel and heading for the door. Shrinking back, Copper Moon stared after him with a look of bewildered dismay, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of his stomach as he glanced back to the man sharing his table. "Aww," Mako whined good-naturedly before quickly draining his glass. "Ah well. Sucks about your monsters, old man. Worst thing, when they can look like men. Never know when they'll pop up." The colour drained from the druid's face. He stood up and grinned, "Take it easy, Copper Moon." He made to follow Osamu, but couldn't quite make it outside before he started laughing manically. Paralyzed with horror, the druid remained where he sat, staring blankly at the door they had disappeared through as the sound of Mako's laughter chased him once more into the dark forests of his memory. Osamu's cold voice suddenly echoed clearly in his head. ''Languish in your fear. ---- Osamu had been in a testy mood for a few days, for no reason that he would admit. In the night, as Lucca lay beside him just beginning to fall asleep, he sat up, disturbing his partner and prompting him to ask what was up. Osamu sat stiffly, expression distant, until eventually he turned to Lucca and said with gravity, and possibly a hint of remorse, "I am terribly sorry. I should not put this on you, but I have found myself in a position where I think I must." He turned and looked down, a very hard cast to his expression, "I find that I cannot let the insult that is Copper Moon go. I know that his trangressions are in the past and never spurred by malice or ill-intent, but I cannot let it go. The reparations that he paid to Mako are insufficient. As a point of context, I killed my own father for less. And I was neither merciful nor quick." He amended, "I would not kill Copper Moon, because I promised you I wouldn't...which is why I must put this back to you, as much as I truly wish I did not need to." He looked at Lucca, and his expression was conflicted, "I need to know what you want. I need you to tell me to let it lie, if that is what you want. Or to enact what punishment I feel would fit for his trespass against you. Justice hasn't been done to my satisfaction, but I don't want to take action if it isn't something you think is warranted. You are the truly wronged party, not I...but without your leave, I cannot let it be." The younger man stared at him wordlessly for a long moment, his expression gradually moving from its initial bewilderment to one of grave consideration. He sat up, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his chin on his knees as he thought, his gaze distant. It was some time before he answered. "I am utterly sick of hearing about that son-of-a-bitch." He said eventually, his tone weary and resentful. "Every time I do it brings shit back up and I hate''feeling it. I ''hate it. How many years has it been since I last saw him? How many years that I've been trying to forget him and his bullshit? All I want is to leave him in the past and be entirely done with this shit. But still he keeps coming back. Over and over, haunting not just me now, but you too." As he spoke there was a certain fierce note growing in his voice, a visible tension permeating his frame. He continued, a slight quaver of rage tinting his voice, "And that. That is unacceptable. I wont have it. Dirt like him doesn't deserve to occupy your mind, to cause you worry. To disrupt our family, repeatedly. No fucking way." He took a deep breath, his eyes flicking back to Osamu as he said definitively, "I just want him gone, from our presence and our minds. I am fine with him wasting away in a shithole like Kemerovo. But that is not enough to keep him from plaguing your thoughts, and I will not have it. I will not tell you to let it lie, not if it is bothering you, and not if he is going to haunt me and mine. I don't ''ask ''you to do anything to him...but you have my leave to do ''whatever ''you feel is necessary. See to him however you feel is warranted, however you see fit, to your satisfaction." Closing his eyes, he clenched his jaw. Letting out a sigh that took most of the anger with it, he finished quietly, "Just end it." As he did, Osamu pulled him into a hug, his face still a curious expression. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you unlike anyone else. I'm sorry, that this time it was me bringing it back from the past. I'm sorry I cannot be forgiving enough to just let it be finished, and move on. But I am not a forgiving man, and I love you. I can't forgive or forget something that hurt you. Not until it's fixed. And what he did, can't be changed. The only thing that can be done, is to fix him. I'm sorry...I'm sorry if I bring you hurt. But I just can't ignore it." He hugged him tighter, "I want your happiness. I want you to be free of worry and doubt and pain, and I'm sorry I'm the kind of person who brings those things." "Shhh...stop it," Lucca murmured, leaning into his embrace, "Not one of those things needs an apology. Not one. And especially not the last few, you don't bring any of those things...I brought them on myself; you drive them away." He turned slightly, slipping his arms around the other man and kissing him gently. "You are my happiness, my safe place...and I love you too." Osamu continued to hold him tightly, saying quietly, "I will always keep you safe. Always. And we can be certain that, after this, he will never trouble either of our thoughts again." "I know..."Lucca whispered, moving to lay back once more and pulling Osamu with him. "I know...thank you." ----------- Copper Moon glanced around frantically, surrounded by trees. Pines, mostly; he must be outside of Kemerovo. How did he get here? He didn’t recall walking here, didn’t remember anything. There was snow on the ground and dusting the trees, but it wasn’t winter. It was barely fall. Icy flecks blew on the wind that held a chill, beyond unseasonal, beyond what the climate should be capable of. Hadn’t he been in his room? His breath came heavy and fast, visible as smoke in the frigid air as he looked around, terror mounting quickly. He had gone to bed, and suddenly he was here? He was dreaming…? “Hardly,” a voice said behind him. As he whipped around to look, something caught him by his neck, holding him up. The old druid struggled to breathe, clutching at the hand that held his throat, feet scrabbling at the snow-dusted needles on the ground but finding no purchase. His eyes, however, were locked in place, staring in horror at what held him. A man that was no man at all, with black horns that stood starkly against his toneless white hair and skin, and flat grey eyes that held no emotion as he regarded the one he throttled at arm’s length. A Yetoman. A monster. “Dreams end.” Copper Moon choked and struggled weakly, as the demon stared at him impassively. “...You bother me,” he stated firmly, flatly, tone inscrutable. “You paid your pride to my gensui, but I find the payment lacking. I should have greater concerns than you, an old fool, but I will not allow you to die in your age with a debt owing in my mind.” The wind whipped about cruelly, biting with its chill; the druid could feel his nose and lips burning, his fingers and feet paining from the brutal cold. Osamu’s voice was dispassionate as he stated, “I will tear you apart, piece by piece, body and mind, until I am satisfied.” Copper Moon’s eyes and mind were filled with terror, despair, and desperation. Tears welled in his eyes as he tried vainly, weakly, to escape. He choked out, in a whisper, “...Why?” Unmoved, Osamu stared him in the eyes and replied evenly, “Because that is what I desire.” Category:Advent of the All